194 Improvement of Land, 



ther thing in vvhich I was wrong in not taking your ad- 

 vice, viz. not keeping oxen instead of horses: this 

 spring all my horses became sick, and I was forced to 

 buy a pair of oxen. I svipposed I should be tired of 

 them, but on the contrary 1 am tired of horses, as I find 

 that with my t^vo oxen, I can do more work, than I 

 could with four horses, and with half the expence. I 

 have worked horses for forty years, and if I had used 

 oxen in their place, they would have put 500 pounds 

 in my pocket. My oxen go to the lime kiln once 

 a week, twenty one .miles in the morning, and return 

 the next day in the forenoon ; after resting two hours, 

 they go to work, horses cannot do this. There is ano- 

 ther thing I find advantage in, I cut all my corn stalks 

 and carry them to the barn yard for litter, when well 

 trodden, I cover them with lime, and then add another 

 layer, then more lime, and so on until all the stalks are 

 used. In the spring, the stalks are all rotted, and I have 

 no trouble in turning them up; last spring I had 176 

 loads of dung : the first three years if I had 20 or 25 

 loads, it was a great thing. My neighbours thought 

 me crazy to buy lime, and to be at such expence, but 

 now they are all falling into the same weiy. 



I plough all my land in the autumn for corn, and in 

 the spring lay on the lime, plough it all over, harrow it 

 dov/n and never am troubled vv^ith cut worms or weeds, 

 I find the fall ploughing is a great advantage. 



your affectionate friend, 



\ William AsHFORn. 



John Vaughax, 



Member Agrie. 



